Our present invention is that of a new and distinct variety of plant in the genus Guzmania within the faily Bromeliaceae, which we have named Guzmania "Red Star".
Plants of the genus Guzmania, especially the species G. lingulata and its many varieties and hybrids, have long been desirable, decorative plants due to their long-lasting, ornamental inflorescence and symmetrical foliage. It has been a continuing goal of breeders to produce a compact Guzmania plant with a large, brilliantly-colored inflorescence, which plant would also be fast-growing. This goal has led to the frequent hybridization of Guzmania lingulata varieties with Guzmania wittmackii varieties. G. lingulata contributes relative compactness and brilliant color. G. wittmackii contributes a large inflorescence, but also long leaves, large size and an open growth habit. Because G. lingulata is a highly variable species, its many cultivars and naturally occurring varieties provide a large gene pool. The re-making of the cross of G. lingulata with G. wittmackii using different cultivars results in hybrids of the two species being markedly different from one another.
In the course of an ongoing breeding program, we selected for hybridization a variety of Guzmania minor which has been designated G. minor "No. 5" and a cultivar of G. wittmackii which has been designated G. wittmackii "No. 8901". G minor is considered a botanical variety of G. lingulata by many persons; and others consider it a closely related but separate species. Like G. lingulata, G. minor is highly variable in phenotype characters.
The progeny of the cross were grown at Laarne, Belgium, and were highly homogenous. One plant particularly exhibiting the distinctive characteristics of the hybrid was selected to constitute the new variety. We have reproduced the selected plant of the new variety asexually at Laarne, Belgium, by division of basal suckers, with characteristics remaining true to type. Subsequent to its asexual reproduction by basal sucker division, the new variety has also been asexually reproduced by us at Laarne, Belgium, by means of tissue culture.